


The Revelation

by Nadroleon



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-26
Updated: 2014-03-26
Packaged: 2018-01-17 02:18:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1370242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadroleon/pseuds/Nadroleon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After returning from a dangerous mission, Pearl thinks it's time to have a serious conversation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Revelation

As the team beams back into the Gem House Steven - who is covered in a peculiar, goopy liquid -  throws his hands up in excitement and yells “That was awesome!”

Amethyst, who is equally excited, looks to him and says “I know right! Who would've thought that thing would just explode!”

Pearl clenches her fists so tightly that her hands begin to shake.

“Are you two serious?! That was not awesome! Steven could've _died_!”

“Well he didn't!” Amethyst snaps back, “He's just fine!”

“That's not the point!” Pearl's face starts to glow bright blue with intensity, a second later she feels Garnet's warm hand rest on her shoulder. She takes one deep breath and exhales slowly.

“We all made it back. That's what's important”

“But Garnet!” says Pearl. Garnet flashes her a quick look and she immediately shuts her mouth.

“Steven, you need to take a shower quickly, unless you want that goop to burn your hair off”

“Garnet, no! I need my hair!” Steven begins furiously wiping the strange liquid off of himself.

“Wait, Steven! Now we can test out my new water gun!” Steven's eyes widen. He and Amethyst both look at Garnet, hoping for her blessing. She nods.

“SHOWERTIME!” They both scream as they run out to the front deck of the Gem house.

Pearl stares at the door as the two disappear, she begins to turn towards Garnet, then stops herself. They got lucky this time, everyone made it through, but what about next time? The three gems could handle a beating, but Steven was different.  He was half human, after all. She had to say something. She takes a deep breath but when she finally turns, Garnet is gone.

–

When Pearl walks through Garnet's door she sees her sitting on the ground, legs crossed and eyes glowing. She is concentrating intensely.  The last thing Pearl wants to do is to interrupt her. She begins creeping backwards.

“What is it, Pearl?”

She stops in her tracks.

“Pearl?”

“We need to talk, Garnet.”

“About Steven.”

Pearl’s breath quickens,her head begins to spin. She takes a second to center herself, then steps forward.

“I don't think it's safe to keep bringing Steven on missions. At least not until he is fully able to control his powers”

Garnet brushes off her concern “He's with us, he'll be just fine.”

“Garnet, I really don't think it's a good idea.”

“You're underestimating Steven, you've seen how he handles himself”

“PLEASE, GARNET! HE COULD DIE!” Pearl is, once again, glowing bright blue. Garnet uncrosses her legs and looks over at her sternly. Pearl gasps and throws her hands over her mouth. She tears up and turns toward the door.

The tall gem stands up. “Come with me” she says.

The two gems walk through one door, then another, and another. They pass through room after room, hallway after hallway, until they finally arrive at a very large glass door.

“Where are we?” Garnet doesn't respond. Instead she walks up to the large door and takes off her glasses. She touches her hand to the door and strokes it. Her eyes begin to flash wildly. For a second it is completely silent, nothing can be heard but the echoes of rushing water from deep within the temple. The doors start to hiss. Layer by layer they begin to dissolve away and the room beyond them slowly becomes visible, almost materializing before their very eyes. Garnet stares in for a moment then looks back at Pearl and nods her over.

–

The inside of the room is warm, one glowing red orb serves as a light. There are papers everywhere, technical drawings, blueprints, even old papyrus scrolls. There is a rack with all types of clothing, from lederhosen and frilly robes to flapper dresses and leather pants. There are also several paintings from various different movements.

Once inside the room Garnet turns to Pearl “Have you never wondered about my skin color, Pearl?”

“What do you mean?”

“You skin is white like your gem, and Amethyst's is purple like hers, yet I’m not red”

“Well you are red..ish, sort of.”

“Pearl, I’m like Steven”

“You mean you're...”

“Half-human”

“But...how?”

Garnet stares down at her hands “The same way it happened with Steven. My mother gave up her corporeal form to--”

“No, Garnet, I mean - you're old! You've been with us for over a thousand years!”

Garnet frowns. “Honestly, I don't know. Other than Steven I haven't met any others like us. What I do know is that my powers aren't diminished because I’m only half a gem.  I guess that's why I've been around so long.”

Pearl is flabbergasted. She flops down into the closest chair she can find. “I can't believe it,” she mutters “all this time and we all had no clue.”

“Rose knew.”

Pearl doesn't know what to say.

“Rose knew my mother way before I was born. They were very _close_. The two of them spent a long time together fighting monsters and protecting humans. After years together though, they just decided to part ways. That's when my mom met my father.” Garnet pointed to a large painting behind Pearl.

The painting depicted a tall, green, dread-locked woman standing next to a tall, very dark-skinned man. The woman had a gem in each of her palms and was holding two very large swords. She wore a very flowy green gown as well as a gold belt and sandals. The man was wearing a white, knee-length robe, golden sandals, a golden helmet, and a large amount of gold jewelry. In his hand was a golden staff.

Pearl stared intensely at the painting, studying every single detail. She looked at Garnet again, “These are your parents?”

“Yes. Jade, my mother, and Afua, my father. That painting is from sometime around the mid-700s.”

“She's absolutely beautiful.”

Garnet looks at her mother’s face in the painting. Pearl smiles.

“Thank you. When I was older, my father showed me this painting and told me about how, for me to be born, she had to...” Garnet trailed off for a moment “He also told me about how she was always talking about this amazing, beautiful, powerful, and pink being who was just like her. I decided to set off to find her immediately. It took a few years, but I finally found her. She took one look at me and she just knew who I was. She told me she could just feel my mother's energy oozing out of me. After that she basically adopted me as her own. She said that my mother would've wanted her to help me figure out my powers. Unfortunately she had no idea how to help, and I didn't learn how to activate my powers until years later, which is actually the same time I stopped aging. Just being around her was a comfort though. From then on I never even left her side until...”

“That's why you two are so close!” Pearl exclaims “You know what he's going through. You know how confusing it is.”

“Yes, and I know how much support he needs.” Garnet walks over to Pearl, she slowly sinks into  overstuffed couch next to her, their thighs brushing ever so slightly in the process.

“Look, Pearl.  I know you worry about Steven a lot, and I know it comes from a good place, but Steven is a gem just like you or Amethyst. He's a lot tougher than you give him credit for. He's a smart kid, and he's going to grow up to be very strong. I need you trust him more from now on, okay?”

Pearl looks away.

“I suppose I could back off a _little_ bit”

“Pearl!”

“Okay, okay. I'll try my best not to be so overprotective from now on”

“Thank you, Pearl. Sincerely.”

–

The two gems walk back into the living room to the sight of Amethyst and Steven sitting on opposite sides of the room launching fry bits into each others' mouths. Amethyst looks at them “Where the heck have you two been?!”

Pearl quickly speaks up “We were talking about....uh...”

Garnet picked it up “Battle formations. We need more structure and discipline.”

Amethyst rolls her eyes violently and throws her arms into the air “Ugh, _booring_ ”

Pearl and Garnet look at each other and breath a sigh of relief.

Steven stands up and walks over to Garnet “Do you guys want bits? I had to fight Amethyst to save some for you” he thrusts the bag of bits into their faces.

Garnet looks down at the boy and smiles “Yes, Steven. I would love some bits”


End file.
